Wheelchair table

ABSTRACT

A telescoping support assembly with positive locking mechanism for a table designed to stradle a wheelchair enabling a person confined to the wheelchair to position the table in the desired position for feeding, writing or other functions normally performed on a table. The two legged membered telescoping support assemblies are mounted transversely to the ends of the planar table top. For each two legged membered telescoping support assembly a positive lever type locking mechanism is provided.

United States Patent [191 Barron Oct. 28, 1975 WHEELCHAIR TABLE [75]Inventor: Daniel Barron, Midway, Tenn.

[73] Assignee: Lawrence Peska Associates, Inc., New York, NY. a partinterest [22] Filed: July 12, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 487,926

[52] US. Cl. 108/144; 108/146; 248/188.5 [51] Int. Cl. A47B 9/00 [58]Field of Search 108/144, 146; 248/1885 [56] References Cited UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 843,584 2/1907 Clark 108/146 1,645,683 10/1927 Beck108/146 X 2,514,524 7/1950 Steele 108/144 UX 2,556,611 6/1951 Borgman108/144 X 3,027,209 3/1962 Nielsen 108/144 UX 3,108,549 10/1963 Amsler,Jr. 108/146 X 3,137,525 6/1964 Purser, Jr 108/146 X 3,217,672 1l/1965Haughey 108/146 3,410,232 11/1968 Krueger 108/144 X Primary Examiner-RoyD. Frazier Assistant Examiner-Peter A. Aschenbrenner Attorney, Agent, orFirmRichard E. Nanfeldt [57] ABSTRACT A telescoping support assemblywith positive locking mechanism for a table designed to stradle awheelchair enabling a person confined to the wheelchair to position thetable in the desired position for feeding, writing or other functionsnormally performed on a table. The two legged membered telescopingsupport assemblies are mounted transversely to the ends of the planartable top. For each two legged membered telescoping support assembly apositive lever type locking mechanism is provided.

4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures US. Patent 0a. 28, 1975 FIG.2

WHEELCHAIR TABLE SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION My invention relates to aunique and novel concept of a vertical telescoping support assembly withpositive rod type locking mechanism for a table designed to straddle awheelchair enabling a person confined to the wheelchair to position thetable in a desired position .for feeding, writing, or other functionsnormally performed on a table top.

It is known from US. Pat. Nos. 2,749,197; 2,875,007; 3,080,835; and3,682,112 that vertical telescoping support assemblies have been mountedonto tables, but these telescoping assemblies are not designed tostradle a wheelchair nor do these assemblies have a positive rod typelocking mechanism. Furthermore, these previously proposed telescopingsupport assemblies fail to provide lateral stabilization to the tabletop as does our present invention.

A major advantage of my invention is that the vertical telescopingsupport assembly with positive locking mechanism provide a means ofeasily and safely adjusting the table top for different vertical heightswhile providing lateral stabilization to the table top.

A rectangular shaped planar table top is mounted transversely on eachend onto a pair of two legged membered vertical telescoping supportassemblies. Each telescoping support assembly is formed from an upperand lower section. The upper section comprises an open ended U-shapedhollow tubular member with a cross brace member affixed across the legsof the U- shaped member. A scissor type member is mounted within avertical slot aperature of the cross brace member. Horizontal extensionrods extend outward from the legs of the scissor shaped member andinsert into a cylinder sleeve contained in a aperature of each leg ofthe U-shaped member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The objects and features of theinvention may be understood with reference to the following detaileddescription of an illustrative embodiment of the invention takentogether with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of the vertical telescoping legassembly affixed to the table top;

FIG. 2 illustrates an end elevated view of the vertical telescoping legassembly affixed to the table top; and

FIG. 3 illustrates a front sectional view of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Turning now descriptively to thedrawings in which similar reference characters denote similar elementsthroughout several views, FIGS. 1-3 illustrate a wheelchair tabledesigned to stradle a wheelchair enabling a person confined to awheelchair to perform given functions on the table 10. A plasticprotective covering 12 forms the top surface of the rectangular shapedplanar table top 11 containing a curved cutout portion 13 along onelongitudinal edge 14 of the table top 11. The curved cutout portion 13of the table top 11 allows the table top 11 to be positioned close tothe person confined to the wheelchair. An electrical outlet panel 15 iscontained within the table top 11. A pair of parallel support bars 16are longitudinally affixed to the bottom base 17 of the table top 11.The vertical two legged membered telescoping support assemblies 18 areaffixedby curved shaped mounting brackets 19 transversely to the bottombase 17 at each end of the table top 11. Each telescoping supportassembly 18 comprises an upper 20 and lower 21 section. The lower 21section comprises a pair of vertical support bar members 22 with aplurality of slot apertures 23 contained along the longitudinal interiorfaces of each bar 22. Each vertical bar member 22 is mounted to the topsurface at the ends of a cross joining beam member 24. A set of casters25 are mounted to the bottom surface 26 of the cross joining beam member24. The upper section 20 of the telescoping support assembly 18comprises an open ended U-shaped hollow tubular member 27 mounted ontothe bottom base 17 of each end of the table top 11 by curved shapedmounting brackets 19 such that the legs 28 of the U-shaped member 27radiates downward from the table top 11. A hollow cylinder 29 ispositioned within an aperature 30 contained in the longitudinal interiorsurface of the legs 28 of the inverted U-shaped member 27. A horizontalcross brace member 31 is affixed across the legs 28 of the U- shapedmember 27 at a point equidistant between the base 32 of the invertedU-shaped member 27 and the aperature 30 in the leg 28. A vertical slotaperture 32 is contained in the center of the cross brace member 31. Thelocking mechanism comprises a vertically placed scissor shaped member 34mounted on a horizontal rod 35 affixed across aperture 33. A tensionspring 35 is mounted between handles 36 of the scissor shaped member 34.A pair of horizontal extension rods 38 extend outward from thevertically placed legs 37 of scissor shaped member 34 passing throughcylinder sleeve 29 and terminating in the slot aperture 23 of verticalsupport bars 22. Vertical support bars 22 insert upward in the open endsof the legs 28 of the inverted U-shaped hollow tubular member 27. Whenthe bandles 36 of the scissor shaped member 34 are compressed together,the horizontal extension rods 38 are retracted from slot apertures 23.This retracting action of the horizontal extension rods 38 allows theupper section 20 to be moved upward or downward in a vertical directionon the lower section 21. A cross joining support 39 is affixed between aleg 28 of an inverted U- shaped hollow tubular member 27 and a secondleg 28 of a second inverted U-shaped hollow tubular member 27 such thatthe cross joining support bar 39 is parallel to the non cutoutlongitudinal edge 40 of the table top 11.

Since obvious changes may be made in the specific embodiment of theinvention described herein, such modifications being within the spiritand scope of the each said leg having on its interior face an aperturetherethrough;

c. a pair of cross brace members having center vertically aligned slotapertures therethrough, each said cross brace member communicatingbetween said pair of said legs of each said tubular member;

d. a hollow cylindrically shaped sleeve in each said aperture of eachsaid leg;

e. a pair of horizontally placed cross joining beams;

f. upwardly extending support bars joined to each end of each said crossjoining beam, each said support bar having a plurality of equally spacedhorizontally aligned slot apertures therein along one longitudinalsurface thereof, each said support bar slidably contained into each saidopen end of each said leg of each said tubular member;

g. a vertically placed scissor shaped member mounted on a horizontal pinin each said vertical slot aperture of each said cross brace member, the

handles of said scissor shaped member extending a set of casters aremounted onto a bottom base of said cross joining beam.

3. A wheelchair table according to claim 1, wherein an electrical outletpanel is contained in said table top.

4. A wheelchair table according to claim 3, wherein a curved shapedbracket communicates between each said leg and said table top.

1. A wheelchair table, which comprises: a. a rectangularly shaped tabletop having a curved cutout portion along one longitudinal edge thereof;b. an inverted U-shaped hollow tubular member affixed transversely to abottom surface of said table top at each end thereof, the open endedlegs of each said tubular member extending downwardly, each said leghaving on its interior face an aperture therethrough; c. a pair of crossbrace members having center vertically aligned slot aperturestherethrough, each said cross brace member communicating between saidpair of said legs of each said tubular member; d. a hollow cylindricallyshaped sleeve in each said aperture of each said leg; e. a pair ofhorizontally placed cross joining beams; f. upwardly extending supportbars joined to each end of each said cross joining beam, each saidsupport bar having a plurality of equally spaced horizontally alignedslot apertures therein along one longitudinal surface thereof, each saidsupport bar slidably contained into each said open end of each said legof each said tubular member; g. a vertically placed scissor shapedmember mounted on a horizontal pin in each said vertical slot apertureof each said cross brace member, the handles of said scissor shapedmember extending above said cross brace member and the legs of saidscissor shaped member extending below said cross brace member; h. ahorizontal extension rod extending outwardly from a lower free end ofeach said leg of each said scissor shaped member, each said extensionrod slidably extending through one said cylindrically shaped sleeve toengage one said horizontal slot aperture of one said support bar; and i.tension springs mounted between said handles of each said scissor shapedmember.
 2. A wheelchair table as recited in claim 1 in which a set ofcasters are mounted onto a bottom base of said cross joining beam.
 3. Awheelchair table according to claim 1, wherein an electrical outletpanel is contained in said table top.
 4. A wheelchair table according toclaim 3, wherein a curved shaped bracket communicates between each saidleg and said table top.